LAHORE: Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi on Thursday said that civil servants should adopt a positive approach and instead of aligning with any party, should be loyal to the state.
Presiding a high-level meeting to review facilities at polling stations to be set up in public schools and other arrangements, he said that provision of best facilities to the people was the responsibility of the government and polling staff would have to perform its duties in a professional and impartial manner during the polling process.
“No complaint of any sort of political interference should ever arise. The holding of free, fair and transparent elections will be ensured at every cost,” said the chief minister and added that provision of missing facilities within the stipulated period was the caretaker set up’s responsibility and it was also very important for the holding of free and fair elections. He directed that a report should be presented by completing the necessary infrastructure of polling stations in the schools.
The chief minister also directed to immediately release the non-salary budget of schools education department and said that release of funds should be ensured at the earliest.
He said that a non-salary budget should also be released for salaries of part-time teachers working in double-shift schools and added that salaries should be given to the teachers well in time and no delay should ever occur in this regard.
“Nations that provided abundant resources for health and education sectors have excelled and Asian nations that were behind Pakistan have surpassed by utilising sufficient funds on these sectors,” said Askari.
Earlier, Schools Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik gave a briefing regarding the establishment of polling stations and posting of staff for the elections.
Provincial Caretaker Minister for Finance and Law Zia Haider Rizvi, P&D chairman, and other secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
